{"id":12052,"date":"2011-06-06T19:42:07","date_gmt":"2011-06-06T18:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=12052"},"modified":"2016-02-08T14:09:40","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T14:09:40","slug":"blu-ray-taxi-driver-scorsese-de-niro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2011\/06\/06\/blu-ray-taxi-driver-scorsese-de-niro\/","title":{"rendered":"Blu-ray: Taxi Driver"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The restored version of Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic is one of the best Blu-rays of the year.<\/p>\n

Taxi Driver<\/strong> won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, received several Oscar nominations, became a box office hit and became an established classic of 1970s cinema.<\/p>\n

A drama about an isolated New York cab driver (Robert De Niro), it explores his relationships with fellow drivers (Peter Boyle), a political campaign volunteer (Cybil Shepherd) and a young prostitute (Jodie Foster), as he starts to see violence as a solution to his\u00a0loneliness.<\/p>\n

This Blu-ray is taken directly from the new 4k restoration supervised by Sony’s Grover Crisp, and approved\u00a0by Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman.<\/p>\n

Great effort has been made to keep the look of the original film intact and this is easily the best looking version of the film I’ve ever seen.<\/p>\n

The detail and contrast of the visuals mark a major step up from the last DVD release in 2007 and the audio is equally good with the DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack sounding tremendous.<\/p>\n

Hearing Bernard Herrman’s classic score set to some of the indelible images from the film at this quality is great\u00a0for admirers of this mid-70s classic.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>EXTRA FEATURES<\/strong><\/p>\n

The extras are also another major bonus of this release, featuring a raft of interesting supplementary material.<\/p>\n

Original 1986 Commentary with Director Martin Scorsese and Writer<\/strong>: Perhaps the highlight is the inclusion of the 1986 audio commentary Scorsese and Schrader recorded for the Criterion LaserDisc. Although 15 years old, it is brilliantly informative and a fantastic resource for fans and students of the film. Scorsese talks about stylistic influences, shooting in New York and various production details whilst Schrader discusses the inspiration for the story, the themes and his take on the film. They are recorded separately but\u00a0edited together\u00a0with\u00a0a moderator who\u00a0provides\u00a0even more background information.<\/p>\n

Interactive Script to Screen<\/strong>: This feature shows the script on-screen as the film plays and you sync the script with the film or look at it independently from the film. Perhaps of most interest to film students, it also provides an interesting bridge between how a script looks on page and how it translates visually to the screen.<\/p>\n

Audio Commentary by Robert Kolker<\/strong>: The film professor from the University of Virginia provides a highly informative commentary that delves into many facets of the film. From detailed discussions of the visuals to the overall history and impact of the film, it is well worth listening to.<\/p>\n

Audio Commentary by Paul Schrader<\/strong>: The screenwriter does another full commentary, this time on his own, and discusses the\u00a0inspiration for his script, the differences between page and screen, the acting and his feelings about the finished film. Given his personal connection with the material,\u00a0it makes for an illuminating perspective on the film.<\/p>\n

Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver<\/strong> (16:52): An interview with the director where he discusses the background to the film, his career up to that point, how he got hired, Paul Schrader’s script, shooting in New York during 1975, how he related to the central character, the European influences on the film and where it sits in his career.<\/p>\n

Producing Taxi Driver<\/strong> (9:53): Producer Michael Phillips speaks about his role in getting the film made, his earlier Oscar-winning success with The Sting (1973), how the dark script was initially a problem with the studio, working with Scorsese and De Niro and the legacy of the film.<\/p>\n

God’s Lonely Man<\/strong> (21:42): A piece on the character of Travis Bickle, which sees Paul Schrader discuss how his own personal problems influenced the character and how he became a figure people identified with.<\/p>\n